Pope Benedict XVI falls 'seriously ill with shingles' after visit to Germany

3 August 2020, 11:33

Pope Benedict XVI has fallen ill after returning to Italy
Pope Benedict XVI has fallen ill after returning to Italy. Picture: PA

By Kate Buck

Emeritus Pope Benedict XVI has fallen "seriously ill" with shingles, a German newspaper has reported.

The 93-year-old travelled from Italy to his native Bavaria to visit his brother in June, who died a short time later.

It was the first time the ailing religious figure had travelled outside Italy since his retirement in 2013.

Author Peter Seewald told Passauer Neue Presse that the retired has been suffering from a facial infection since his return to Rome.

Seewald, who has published several book-length interviews with Benedict, handed over a copy of the biography to the former pontiff on Saturday, the newspaper said.

The former Pontiff travelled to see his dying brother in June
The former Pontiff travelled to see his dying brother in June. Picture: PA

He described Benedict as being optimistic and talking about possibly writing himself if his strength picks up, though he said the former pontiff is physically very frail.

In June, Benedict made a four-day visit to the Bavarian city of Regensburg to see his dying brother. It was his first trip out of Italy since he resigned as pope in 2013. The Rev Georg Ratzinger died on July 1 at age 96.

Benedict has lived in a monastery in Vatican City since shortly after his retirement. Elected to the papacy in 2005 to succeed St John Paul II, the former Joseph Ratzinger was the first pontiff in 600 years to resign the post.

He was succeeded by Pope Francis.

Latest World News

See more Latest World News

Arvind Kejriwal

Opposition leader Kejriwal locked up for further four days, court rules

Pope Francis

Pope urges priests to avoid ‘clerical hypocrisy’ in Maundy Thursday speech

Resident clears rubble from home

Russia wears down Ukrainian defences with missile and drone attacks

Rescuers searching through rubble

Paramedics among 16 people killed by Israeli airstrikes in Lebanon

Hairdressers in Paris

French legislators ponder law to ban discrimination based on a person’s hair

Australian products in Shanghai

China ends tariffs on Australian wine as relations between countries thaw

Soldiers in giant fuel tank

US military drains giant wartime fuel tanks which had poisoned water supply

Sam Bankman-Fried

FTX founder Bankman-Fried facing decades in prison for crypto fraud

Aiden Minnis (left) and Ben Stimson (right) joined the Russian military

British traitor fighting for Russia in Ukraine says he is 'prepared to die' for Putin after family 'disowns him'

Austria Navalny

Portraits of Alexei Navalny unveiled next to Soviet soldier monument in Vienna

Hawaii Wildfire

Hawaii fire survivors moving into housing but 3,000 still in hotels

Trump Investigations Eastman

Judge says former Trump lawyer should be debarred

The cargo ship Dali stuck under part of the structure of the Francis Scott Key Bridge after the ship hit the bridge in Baltimore

Baltimore bridge collapse: Divers recover two bodies from water

Germany Bus Accident

Four killed in German bus accident

Two bodies have been recovered from the water where the Baltimore bridge collapsed.

Two victims of Baltimore bridge collapse named after bodies found 'trapped in truck' by divers

Disgraced Spanish football boss who grabbed and kissed Women's World Cup winner faces two-and-a-half-years in jail

Disgraced Spanish football boss who grabbed and kissed Women's World Cup winner faces two-and-a-half-years in jail